Mr Cameron used Tuesday’s hearing to launch a broadside at people criticising fracking projects for ideological reasons.

Mr Cameron said: “There are, though, some people who I think are opposing shale because they simply can’t bear the thought of another carbon-based fuel being used in our energy mix and I think that is irrational because it’s surely better for us to be extracting shale safely from our own country rather than paying a large price for having it imported from around the world.”

He added: “I think that’s why some people are so religiously opposed to it because they just don’t want to see any carbon-based energy work. I don’t think that’s helpful.”

Fracking could provide up to 74,000 jobs and result in £3.5 billion of investment, Mr Cameron said.

“If there’s an opportunity to extract clean, low-cost gas from shale in the UK we would be making a great mistake if we didn’t enable this industry to develop,” he said. Ministers this week said that local communities will be allowed to keep tax generated by fracking.